2009 Fantasy Football Wrap Up

When I think of MVP, the key word is "value." Let's talk about DeSean Jackson, a guy whose Average Draft Position was falling around rounds five-to-seven this season. In standard leagues, Jackson was the third-highest-scoring WR, and in PPR formats, he was the 11th-ranked WR.

That means he is WR1 material in standard leagues and low end WR1 material in PPR formats. Now, I am probably a bit biased because I happened to snag D-Jax in the middle rounds of my draft, and on my team's fantasy depth chart, he was my WR3.

Now that's value, and that makes him my MVP. You can be certain that he won't be flying under any radar next season. The guy is a legit playmaker, and quite possibly, the fastest player in the league. I'd pay to see him race Chris Johnson, who was a very close second on my MVP list.

Who Was the Biggest Bust?

Let me tell you about the third-down running back masquerading as a fantasy star in the making, Mr. Steve Slaton.

Many fantasy footballers were licking their chops to get this cat on their squads after his stellar rookie campaign. Part of the problem was his bone-headed fumbling ways. Another thing that became glaringly obvious was Slaton's inability to run between the tackles.

Once Slaton got the fumbling in check, it was too late because Gary Kubiak decided he was going to play games with his stable of mediocre running backs. Slaton finally started to re-emerge as a steady option for PPR leagues. then he suffered a neck injury, which led to numbness in his fingertips and a trip to the IR.

Slaton is likely going to return next season in a reduced role because the Texans have found something in Arian Foster. A bounce-back season is not in order.

Who Is the Top Pick in Next Year's Draft?

Probably the easiest answer on this list, it's Chris Johnson. When he touches the ball, he is in scoring position. LenDale White is not a factor in the red zone anymore. Johnson was given at least 20 touches per week in the running game, not to mention the action he gets when the Titans decide to pass.

The Titans coaching staff will try to limit his carries next season, they don't want to burn him out early in his career. Johnson had a total of 408 touches last season, but the good thing about him is he avoids heavy hits and is deadly in space, which is a spot they want to get him in more often.

No doubt, he is the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts next season.

Has Tom Brady Fallen from the Top-Tier QBs?

After watching the debacle last week, I have to say yes.

Brady just didn't look right all season long by his "lofty" standards. There was all kinds of hype surrounding Brady and his return from a brutal knee injury. Many fantasy owners were still snagging him in the first rounds of some drafts.

This season, it was Drew Brees and Peyton Manning leading the way, and the ascension of Philip Rivers, AaronRodgers and Matt Schaub was nice. With that being said, I would simply avoid Brady in next year's drafts. The price tag is still too high because many guys are still holding out hope that he will again throw 50 TDs. Come on folk. We are almost three years removed from that stellar season.

Do You See Jamaal Charles and Jerome Harrison Being Worth Second-Round Picks in 2010?

The sample size is small, but it is a spectacular sample in both cases. Jamaal Charles plays for the better team, and that isn't saying much. I think he is the only one of the two worth a second-round pick, so I won't waste a lot of time explaining why he should be grabbed early in drafts.

KC's coaching staff loves the way he plays. He has proven to be explosive and is a threat in the passing game, as well as one of the only weapons the Chiefs have on the offensive side of the ball. Enough said.

Instead, I will explain why you shouldn't draft Harrison early. Harrison is sleeper material in my opinion, mainly because that penguin Eric Mangini is still the Browns head coach. He only showed faith in Harrison after he broke a record held by Jim Brown.

Mike Holmgren, however, is on his side. Outside of the 286 yard explosion (if you started him, nice work. You were probably in the two percent of owners on Yahoo! who did), Harrison was a nice shot in the arm for many owners in the fantasy playoffs mainly because of his matchups and the amount of carries he was receiving.

The matchups had a ton to do with his three-week stretch of dominance. The Browns played KC, Oakland and Jacksonville in the final three weeks of the season, setting up Harrison for success. Just don't let yourself get too excited early in drafts next season, because he won't be carrying the ball 30-plus times, and the Browns aren't going to be playing cream-puff run defenses the entire season. Draft him as your RB3 and you are doing alright.

Is Vernon Davis the Real Deal?

Yes, yes, yes, yes! I like the direction the passing attack is headed, that is, if they still go with the wide open mentality. Even if they don't, Davis is the ultimate red zone weapon with size and speed. He did have some costly drops last season, but he makes up for it with his big-play potential and touchdown numbers.

Alex Smith finally started to look somewhat like a third-round pick at least. We all know he wasn't worth the first overall pick, but that's in the past. This 49ers offense finally showed a bit of clout in the passing game, something it has been lacking since the days of Steve Young.

Davis is the centerpiece of that, and should be considered a top flight fantasy TE heading into next season. He is the real deal.